Combined forces of Army, Navy and Air Force deployed in Kashmir for joint counter-terrorism operations

In a bid to enhance the security in the Kashmir valley, the defence ministry has decided to deploy combined forces of Army, Navy and Air Force to carry out joint counter-terrorism operations.

The three special forces, namely, Para (Special Forces) of the Army, Marine Commandos (MARCOS) of the Navy and Garud Special Forces of the Air Force are being deployed in the valley under the ministry's newly-raised Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), senior Defence sources told ANI.

According to an official posted in the Ministry of Defense, "it is not that the Special Forces of Navy and Air Force have been deployed for operations in Kashmir for the first time. But this will be the first time that all special forces under AFSOD will work together."

The induction of the troops of the three forces has already begun as the Army Para (SF) personnel have already been posted into an area said to be a traditional terror hotbed near Srinagar. The personnel of the MARCOS and the Garuds would also be getting fully inducted into the anti-terrorist operations very soon, defence sources told news agency ANI.

The Garud Commandos of the IAF have already carried out successful operations in the Kashmir valley as they managed to eliminate six terrorists in one go in an operation in Hajin village of Bandipora district for which its Corporal JP Nirala was also awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously.

MARCOS too has operated several times in several areas, including Lolab valley.

The purpose behind the deployment of joint Special Forces in the Kashmir valley is to provide the troops exposure of working collectively in actual operations. The AFSPD has already carried out two exercises in separate locations practicing attack on important enemy locations and taking back captured areas.

The first exercise of the AFSOD was in the Kutch region that was codenamed Ex Smelling Field while the second was in Andaman and Nicobar Islands codenamed DANX-2019. Major General Ashok Dhingra is the first head of the division.